[Winona Online Democracy]
I'm afraid I was unclear in my first message. I didn't mean to
imply that I thought such knowledge was irrelevant today. I was
lamenting how computers/industry/automation, in most cases,
renders such knowledge *seemingly* unnecessary. (I believe it
*is* important.)
I apologize for my generalization. Obviously, some occupations
do still require such knowledge. Thanks for pointing that out.
My point was that *most* jobs probably use computers to make
such calcuations, giving the impression that the ability to sit
down with paper and pencil to figure it out is no longer needed.
But, then, I haven't been in the workforce that long. Am I
correct in thinking this is the norm?
Lori Baumgardt
--- Paul Double <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> While you may not use or need to calculate the bushels of
> grain in wagon, I
> make similar calculation daily. Our company provides storage
> systems for
> bulk commodities and every day we make these calculations..
> While some
> computer models work on regular shaped bunkers or bins most of
> the piles we
> work with are outdoors and with a variety of odd shapes and
> sizes. In
> addition we must compute aeration needs, surface area, seam
> lap losses and
> many other factors in order to develop a final price. I would
> disagree
> that the process learned is not of some relevance today and
> that computers
> solve the problem assuming the software exists and is
> affordable. We are
> also are required to state these values in metric tons, short
> tons, long
> tons, bushels, cubic feet, cubic yards etc. both in volume and
> lineal
> measurement.
>
> Paul Double
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
> and then in >Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 06:39:29 -0800 (PST)
> >From: Lori Baumgardt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Subject: Re: [Winona] 8th Grade Test from 1895
> >To: Craig Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> > onlinedemocracy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >[Winona Online Democracy]
> >
> >
> >I think one thing this test illustrates is how
> industrialization
> >and automation has made the fundamental knowledge of math
> >obsolete. This was a time that required education for
> survival.
> > Today, we do not need to know how to calculate the number of
> >bushels of wheat a wagon box 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3
> ft.
> >wide will hold (#2, Arithmetic section)--even if we
> substitute
> >"truck-bed" for "wagon box"; we have computers to figure that
> >out for us. I'm afraid this is indicative of our modern
> >cultural apathy concerning the minimal level of required
> >education in all subjects, especially given our
> >ultra-capitalistic society. After all, the ability to
> describe
> >the three most prominent battles of the Rebellion (#5, U.S.
> >History section) is superfluous in the pursuit of profit.
> >
> >
> >Lori Baumgardt
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >
> >
> >--- Craig Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >> [Winona Online Democracy]
> >>
> >> The following has been going around the Internet.
> >> My first thought was--
> >> This can't be for real??
> >> I didn't think it could possibly be true and checked with
> the
> >> Salina
> >> paper and then found
> >> this site which confirmed it is for real - (in fact -
> children
> >> took it
> >> in the 7th grade)--
> >> http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas/genweb/ottawa/exam.html
> >> With all the debate over public education, funding, grad
> >> standards,
> >> etc. this 19th Century test gave me cause to wonder---
> >> *************************
> >> 8th GRADE TEST
> >> We have all heard of someone who became successful with
> >> "only an 8th grade education". Well take a look at this:
> a
> >> copy of
> >> the actual test used in 1895 by one school system in
> Kansas.
> >> It
> >> certainly puts new meaning into the phrase - "only an 8th
> >> grade
> >> education."
> >>
> >> ------------ Could You Have Passed the 8th Grade in 1895?
> >> ...Take a Look:
> >>
> >>
> >> This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 from Salina,
> KS.
> >> USA.
> >>
> >>
> >> It was taken from the original document on file at the
> Smoky
> >> Valley
> >> Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS and
> reprinted
> >> by the
> >> Salina Journal.
> >>
> >>
> >> 8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895
> >>
> >> Grammar (Time, one hour)
> >> 1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
> >> 2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no
> >> modifications.
> >> 3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
> >> 4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal
> >> Parts of
> >> do, lie, lay and run.
> >> 5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
> >> 6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of
> >> Punctuation.
> >> 7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show
> >> therein that
> >> you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
> >>
> >> Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
> >> 1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
> >> 2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft.
> wide.
> >> How
> >> many bushels of wheat will it hold?
> >> 3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth
> at
> >> 50 cts.
> >> per bu., deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
> >> 4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is
> the
> >> necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per
> >> month, and
> >> have $104 for incidentals?
> >> 5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
> >> 6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days
> at 7
> >> percent.
> >> 7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and
> >> 16 ft. long at $20 per m?
> >> 8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace)
> >> at 10 percent.
> >> 9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per are, the
> >> distance
> >> around which is 640 rods?
> >> 10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
> >>
> >> U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
> >> 1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
> >> 2. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
> >> 3. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
> >> 4. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
> >> 5. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the
> >> Rebellion.
> >> 6. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell,
> >> Lincoln,
> >> Penn, and Howe?
> >> 8. Name events connected with the following dates:
> >> 1607
> >> 1620
> >> 1800
> >> 1849
> >> 1865
> >>
> >> Orthography (Time, one hour)
> >> 1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic,
> >> orthography,
> >> etymology, syllabication?
> >> 2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
> >> 3. What are the following, and give examples of each:
> >> Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
> >> 4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u'.
> >> 5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e'.
> >> Name two exceptions under each rule.
> >> 6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling.
> >> Illustrate each.
> >> 7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection
> with a
> >> word:
> >> Bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono,super.
> >> 8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the
> >> following, and
> >> name the sign that indicates the sound: Card, ball, mercy,
> >> sir, odd,
> >> cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
> >> 9. Use the following correctly in sentences:
> >> Cite, site, sight, fane,fain, feign, vane, vain, vein,
> raze,
> >> raise,
> >> rays.
> >> 10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate
> >> pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by
> >> syllabication.
> >>
> >> Geography (Time, one hour)
> >> 1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
> >> 2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in
> Kansas?
> >> 3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
> >> 4. Describe the mountains of North America.
> >> 5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa,
> >> Denver,
> >> Manitoba,Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fermandez,
> Aspinwall
> >> and
> >> Orinoco.
> >> 6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
> >> 7. Name all the republics of Europe and give capital of
> each.
> >> 8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in
> the
> >> same
> >> latitude?
> >> 9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean
> >> returns to
> >> the sources of rivers.
> >> 10. Describe the movements of the earth.
> >> Give inclination of the earth.
> >>
> >>
> >> -------------------------- Imagine a college student trying
> to
> >> pass
> >> this test, even if the few outdated questions were
> modernized.
> >> ------------------------- Gives the saying of an early 20th
> >> century
> >> person that "she/he only had an 8th grade education" a
> whole
> >> new
> >> meaning!
> >
> >
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> >
> >
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